Group Health Centre (GHC) patients, many with medical conditions which need regular attention, are shying away from booking appointments with their family doctors out of a mistaken impression GHC is closed during the current COVID-19 pandemic, or fear of getting the virus at an in-person appointment or because they feel making an appointment at this time puts undue stress on the healthcare system.
But those beliefs are mistaken and those patients are jeopardizing their own health in not booking appointments, a local physician says.
“My group of primary care providers are concerned for their patients well being and are concerned about their patients avoiding getting care for other medical conditions given their fear of COVID-19,” said Dr. Jodie Stewart, Algoma District Medical Group (ADMG) chair/CEO and family physician, speaking to SooToday.
GHC sites at 240 McNabb St., 170 East St. and 773 Great Northern Rd. are indeed open.
“We’re worried because we’ve seen a definite decrease in requests for appointments at the Group Health Centre. We’re down to about 75 per cent of our normal requests for appointments, (but) all of our primary care physicians and nurse practitioners are operating their full schedule as they normally were before in terms of the number of available appointments,” Stewart said.
“Many of our patients have other medical conditions that need ongoing medical attention and treatment in a timely manner, and we’re fearful because of COVID, they’re going to jeopardize their health from other medical conditions because they’re so fearful of COVID that they don’t call us.”
Stewart said some patients are worried about putting additional strain on doctors and feel they don’t want to be ‘a bother.’
No need to worry, she said.
“Thankfully, at this point COVID isn’t putting a huge strain on our primary care resources in town because our case numbers have been low, so we would like our primary care patients to call us if they have medical concerns.”
Stewart said “about 80 per cent” of GHC doctor/patient appointments are currently being held over the phone or through video link.
Stewart said the other 20 per cent are done in person, depending on the circumstances.
“Those are for things we feel we can’t accurately assess over the phone, things that require a physical exam. Some patients may have difficulty accessing technology and would prefer to come in.”
For those GHC patients with in-person appointments, Stewart said “what we’re doing is screening all people who enter every single one of our buildings.”
“They’re being met at a screening station, being asked to wash their hands, and if they’re not already wearing a mask they’re being provided with a mask to wear. We would encourage people, if they do come to our buildings, to wear a mask from home so we can save our supply.”
The same day clinic at the GHC’s main site on McNabb is open for urgent needs.
Mental health services are also available, Stewart said.
“We are still doing all baby immunizations as well. Delaying those may cause more harm in terms of the infectious disease risk to those children who aren’t immunized.”
Stewart said “call us” at 705-759-1234.
Calls from patients are being transferred directly to nurses, who then assess whether an over the phone or in-person visit is needed.
